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What are you watching? Readers recommend 'Casablanca,' 'Amadeus'

Monitor TV and movie fans share what they've been watching lately.

  • By Joseph Addison Monitor reader
  • Kim Gessner Monitor reader
  • Tara Doe Monitor reader

Casablanca deserves its place in film history, and as a story of integrity and sacrifice in the face of oppression, it speaks as powerfully now as it ever did. Love wins in the end, but not romance: The greater love of humanity is the driver, and Rick’s return to it is the real victory and the moment we cheer. 

Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman probably still retain the highest profiles, but Claude Rains turned in a pitch-perfect performance. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should list as one of its great errors that Rains didn’t take best supporting actor in 1943.

– Joseph Addison, Silistra, Bulgaria

I have a handful of what, to me, are perfect movies. They may not meet the standards of great movies, but they are perfectly cast, entertaining, and have that special something that makes me stop whatever I’m doing and draws me in. They are Singing in the Rain, Cabaret, The Princess Bride, The Shawshank Redemption, Victor/Victoria, and Amadeus.

– Kim Gessner, Orlando, Fla.

I watch a lot of detective shows from Icelandic countries and several British detective shows. The one I just saw was Jordskott, which aired on SVT in Sweden and on the AMC streaming service Shudder in the United States. I’m hoping the BBC One show Happy Valley, which is available on Netflix in the US, has another season. It was a good British show with a great actress, Sarah Lancashire.

In addition, I like anything that actress Ann Dowd is in. She was in HBO’s The Leftovers and she stars in TNT’s Good Behavior as an FBI detective. 

Sometimes I look for shows with certain actors or actresses. For example, I watched a British detective show called River, which aired on BBC One in Britain and is available on Netflix in the US, because it had Stellan Skarsgård in it.

– Tara Doe, Clifton Park, N.Y.

What are you watching? Write and tell us at whatareyouwatching@csmonitor.com.

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